Panel polishing and rubbing machine



K. A. WEBER PANEL POLISHING AND RUBBING MACHINE Dec. 4,- 1928.

Filed March 5, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwwznfob (m6 M di 452M Dec. 4, 1928. f 1,694,046

K. A. WEBER PANEL POLISHING AND RUBBING MACHINE Filed March 5, 1925 2 Sheets-Shet 2 5 1: 6 k 6/ W 57L Patented Dec. 4, 1928.

' UNITED STATES 1,694,046 PATENT OFFICE.

KARL ALBERT WEBER, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO WEBER SHOW- CASE & FIXTURE COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

PANEL POLISHING AND BUBBING MACHINE.

Application filed March 5, 1925. Serial No. 13,210.

This invention relates to panel polishing and rubbing machines, and is more particularly directed to a machine for polishing flat surfaces of material such as wood and the .5 like that is to be used for the construction of furniture, interior partitions, and the like. The polishing and rubbing of flat surfaces of wood and similar materials to provide the same with a smooth and highly polished surface has been, for the most part,"

accomplished manually and requires considerable time and skilled labor, to provide a smooth, even and well polished surface. It

is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a machine through which the material to be polished is automatically fed while the same is rubbed and polished to produce the desired surface condition.

It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for feeding polishing materials onto the surfaces to be polished at a predetermined and definite rate so that the rubbing and polishing members will at all times be provided with the correct quantity of material to effect the most efiicient and rapid polishing and rubbing of the surface.

A further object of this invention is to provide a polishing and rubbing apparatus in which the parts are so constructed and organized as to provide a simple, durable and lasting machine for the polishing and rubbing of a fiat surface, that is inexpensive in operation and uses a minimumof polishing materials.

Other objects and advantages. of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings:

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a polishing machine embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a front side elevation thereof, illustrating the polishing material recovery trough broken away to show the relative positions of the polishing elements and guides.

Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation taken substantially on the line 38 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmental top plan view partly in section, showing the operating mechanism for the polishing material feeding containers.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmental sectional end elevation taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1 showing the yieldable drive mechanism for driving the panels through over the support.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention shown in the drawings, 1 indicates a frame comprising lower longitudinally ex- .tending members 2 to which spaced apart frames 3 are secured for sup orting the upper longitudinally extending flame mem bers 4, to which guides 5 are secured. The material 6, which it is desired to rub and polish, is positioned between the guides 5 so that its outer edges rest upon the upper. edges 7 of the members 4.

Means are provided for sliding the material 6 along between the guides 5 during the polishing and rubbing operation which means preferably compose a plurality of serrated or toothed rollers 8 mounted in recesses 9 formed in the frame members 4 and guides so as to be in position to engagethe outer edges of the material 6. The rollers 8 are mounted on shafts 10 which are journaled in bearing brackets 11. The brackets 11 are; free to oscillate to or from the work 6 and the rollers 8 mounted on the shafts 1O journaled in the brackets 11 are yieldably urged toward the'work 6 by means of bearing members 12 which members 12 have outwardly extending pin projections 12 over which springs 12 are fitted so as to engage the members 12. The opposite ends of springs 12 pass over pins 13 .formed as extensions of the rings 13*.

Screws 13 are secured to the rings '13 and are screw threaded within brackets 14 which brackets 14 are secured to the frame members 4 so that the pressure exerted by the springs 12 may be regulated. The lower ends of the shafts 10 carry beveled gears 13 adapted to mesh with beveled gears 14 mounted on a countershaft 15. The

countershaft 15 is mounted in hanger brack- I by a belt 23 from a second pulley 24 mounted upon a shaft 25 upon which drive shaft 25 is secured a drive wheel 43 which drive wheel 43 is driven by a belt 90 by a pulley 91 mounted 011 a second countershaft 92 and which shaft 92 is driven by a motor 26 by means of a belt drive 27.

' ing construction and operation:

bristles 32 are mounted.

The plurality of brushes 29 are mounted within transverse guide frames 30 in position to be reciprocated in a direction across the material 6 as the same is driven forward. The brushes 29 comprise the top 31 in which The top 31 is mounted within a frame 44 so as to be vertically adjustable as will hereinafter be described. The frame' 44 rides in grooves 33 formed in the supporting frame 30 and is pivotally connected at one end by a pin 34 to an actuating arm 35. The actuating arm 35 is pivotally connected at the pin 36 to an arm37 which is rigidly secured to the rock shaft 38 loosely journaled. in brackets 38 bolted as illustrated at 39 to the frame 1. An arnr 37 is secured to the shaft 38 and is pivotally secured at its opposite end by a pin 40 to a. drive link 41 which drive link 41 is loosely secured at a pin 42 to a point near the periphery of a drive wheel 43, which is preferably of comparatively large diameter and is mounted upon the shaft 25. A plurality of arms 37 are spaced along the rock shaft 38 and are'connected in a similar manner to the brush frames '44.

A like countershaft 15 on the opposite side of the frame is driven by the gears 17 and 18 from. the first mentioned shaft 15 by a chain 45 through the sprocket gears 46 and 47 mounted upon the respective shafts 15. p

The brush heads 31 carry pins 48 which pins pass through bores formed in one of the members of the frame 44 and a coil spring 49 is mounted upon each pin 48 and is. engaged at its upper end by means of a washer 50 which is held in position by means of a thumb screw 51 so that as the thumb screw 51 is turned the elevation of the bristles'32 in relation to the material 6 is varied. A

A trough 54 is mounted above the material 6 by means of supports 55 and is provided at its bottom with a plurality of perforations 56 over which a plate 57 is secured by 1 means of a pin 58 passing through the enlarged slot 59 and which pin 58 is secured to an actuating lever 60. The plate 57 has a plurality of perforations 61, the edges 62 of which perforations are turned upwardly to provide pushers for the polishing material placed within the trough 54, which polish ing material may be pumice or any similar material. The actuating lever is rigidly mounted at one end as illustrated at 63 and is connected by a pin 64 to a link 65 which pin 64 is mounted within the slot 66 formed in the lever 60. The link 65 is secured at its opposite end by means of a pin 67 which passes through a slot 68 of the arm 69 which arm 69 is pivotally secured by a pin 70 to an actuating arm 71 which passes through a recess formed in one of the mem bers of one of the frames 30 in the position to be engaged by the edge of the brush-holding frame 44 when the same is reciprocated. By this means the plate 57 is reciprocatedover the plate 56 to first open and then close communication through the ports 56 and 61 so that the polishing material is periodically dropped upon the surface of the material 6 which is being polished. and rubbed.

Means are provided for supplying polishing oil to the surface of the material 6,

which means preferablycomprise a pipe 72 secured to the trough 54 at its end by any suitable means, such as the: brackets illustrated at 73. The pipe 72 has a plurality of small perforations 74 formed in its underside and capped, as illustrated at 75, at one end and is connected with a conduit 76 at its opposite end. The conduit 76 is sup plied with oil under pressure from a small pump 77 which is drivenby the belt connection 78 from the shaft 25. The oil is 'supplied to the pump 77 from a-storage tank 79.

At the sides of the frame are troughs 80 which are in position to receive the pumice or polishing material and the oil which has been used in polishing and has been pushed to the edges of the material 6. The troughs 30 are inclined toward the entrance end of the machine, as illustrated. at 81, and are provided at this point with a connecting channel 82'from the bottom of which connecting channel 82 a pipe 83 leads to a position to return the oil and pumice to a screen 84 mounted within the storage tank 79 so that the pumice or polishing material is strained from the oil which is returned to the pump to be recirculated into the pipe 72 and the pumice may be recovered from the screen 82 and returned to the trough 54.

From the foregoing, it will be ap arent that I have provided a simple and e cient means for polishing flat surfaces of material, and while the same is illustrated as for use on a set size of material, it will be apparent that with slight modifications the distance wagers between the side rails 4: could be easily adjusted to accommodate any width of matetion is used to designate the supporting of h the panel which is to be polished in a horizontal plane so that its greatest dimensions are in such horizontal plane, While the term vertical edge is used to designate each of the shortest dimensions of the said panel.

Having fully described a preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that I do not Wish to be limited to the exact construction herein set forth, which may obviously be varied in detail without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I I claim: 1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a support, means for con tinuously moving a panel onsaid support in a horizontal direction, a plurality of rubbing I elements in contact with the horizontal surface of the panel, means for reciprocating said rubbing elements transversely to the line of travel of said panel and means actuated by thereciprocating action of the rub bing elements for feeding a polishing material onto the'panel in advance of said rubbing elements.

2. In a panel polishing apparatus, the

combination of a panel support, means for feeding a panel over such support, a pluralit-yof rubbing elements mounted to move transversely above said panel and in adj 11stable contact therewith, means for simultaneously imparting a reciprocating motion to said rubbing elements and activating .the panel feeding means, a polishing material supply means positioned across and above said panel and in advance of said rubbing elements and means actuated by the recipro eating movement of the rubbing elements for discharging polishing material, from said supply means onto the panel at one end of the reciprocating movement thereof.

3. In a panel polishing machine, the combination of means for feeding a polishing material onto a panel, said feeding means being actuated by reciprocating action of rubbing elements mounted above said panel.

4. In a panel polishing machine, the combination of reciprocating rubbing elements in contact with the horizontal surface of a moving panel, a polishing material supply means positioned across and above said panel, and means actuated by the reciprocating movement of the rubbing elements for periodically discharging polishing material from said supply means onto the panel.

5. In a panel polishing machine, the com bination ofa support, means for moving a panel on said support in a horizontal direction, a plurality of rubbing elements in contact With the horizontal surface of the panel, means for reciprocating said rubbing elements transversely to the line of travel of said panel; a motor, means for operatively connecting said motor with saidmeans for moving a panel and means for reciprocating the rubbing elements, and means actuated by the reciprocating action of the rubbing elements for feeding a polishing material onto the panel in advance of said rubbing elements. I

Signed at Los' Angeles, California, this 19th day of February 1925.

v KARL ALBERT WEBER. 

